Flush valve



July 21, 1964 F. w. KERTELL FLUSH VALVE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26,1962 ME mm W K M m N M MRNEY July 21, 1964 F. w. KERTELL FLUSH VALVE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1962 INVENTOR. FPANK T/V. KER TELL July21, 1964 F. w. KERTELL FLUSH VALVE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 26, 1962INVENTOR. .FRA NR W KER TEL L BY ATTORNEY July 21, 1964 F. w. KERTELL3,141,177

FLUSH VALVE Filed Oct. 26, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN TOR. .FQA NK WKER TEL 1.

ATTORNE Y.

United States Patent Calif.

Filed Oct. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 233,414 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-53) Thisinvention pertains to a toilet type flush valve with two differentvolumes of flushing water dropped into the bowl from the toilet tank bydifferent motions of the flush valve trip handle.

Previously, inventions have shown ways of obtaining diflerent volumes offlush fluid from the toilet tank by the use of two different heightflush valve seats and separate valves. This is more expensive thanapplicants construction and cannot readily be used in conventional tanksor with conventional flush valve seats. Such a construction showing theuse of two seats is shown in US. Patent No. 2,803,833, issued to W. J.Charest, dated August 27, 1957; Us. Patent No. 2,839,759, issued to J.Martino, dated June 24, 1958; and US. Patent No. 2,754,521, issued to F.Marcum, dated July 17, 1956. J. W. Robinson in US. Patent No. 2,716,242,dated August 30, 1955, shows a double valve with a greatly reduced rateof flow for the restricted volume flush, compared to applicants fullflow rate at restricted volume secondary or selective flush compared tothe normal flush volume and flow rate.

Another feature of this invention is the utilizing of the single valveseat as used in conventional toilet tanks and a single conventionalflush valve, but causing it to sink and seat early by other means suchas a secondary float for the control of the reduced volume flush.

Water consumption in many areas is very critical and the use of a lesservolume of water for many toilet usages would save many millions ofgallons of water in areas like Los Angeles and still give a satisfactoryflush. Other uses of the toilet will require the full volume of flushliquid.

Another object of the invention is to make a design that is suitable foruse as an accesory change in a conventional toilet tank, with maximumconvertibility from single flush to two volume flush.

Other objects will be more particularly pointed out in the accompanyingspecification and claims.

I have illustrated my invention by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a toilet tank and valvecontrol mechanism illustrating one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the float valve in adifferent position in its cycle.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the float in a stilldifferent position of its cycle.

FIG. 4 is a plan view, partly in section, of the construction shown inFIG. 1.

In all figures like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts.

In FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 I have shown a conventional toilet water storagetank 10, an outlet hole 11, an outlet valve seat assembly 12 withthreaded outlet 13 and retaining nut 14 pulling valve assembly 12tightly on gasket 14a to prevent water leakage. Stand pipe 15 extends toabove the normal high water level in tank such as level 16. A smallportion of the new water from the float controlled valve (not shown)usually enters stand pipe 15 through pipe 17. Main float valve is of arubber-like flexible material that forms a good seal when on seat 12.Valve 20 is generally mostly full of air (though it can have a bottomopening) when the level of the water is above the top of float valve 20and when not held on its seat by the water pressure above the open areaof valve assembly 12. Valve 20 will float to the upper limit of itstravel as limited by its guiding mechanism as long as the water level isabove float valve 20, when lifted fully by handle rotated clockwise, asviewed in FIG. 2. Arm 29 is raised by the right hand cam of double cam27 which is mounted on shaft 26 and depresses end 28 of trip arm 29 tothe fully lifted position, as shown in FIG. 2, with the left hand sideof cam 27 abutting against stop 52b. Guide 30 rides on control rod 31and abuts against collar 32 to operate catch bell crank 43 whichcontrols some of the action of float and support rod 41.

Float valve 20 is pulled against the turned end 42 of rod 41 and guidemember 34a, as shown in FIG. 2. Horizontal portion 41a of shaft 41 whichsupports float 40 (through a bearing 34b, similar to guide members 34aof bracket 34) is gripped by book 43a of catch bell crank 43 afterriding up cam face 430 of bell crank 43 and lifting the left end ofguard 44 (as shown in FIG. 1). Guard 44 is pivoted to catch bell crank43 at pin 45 and has a lower position limit pin 43b. This guard 44prevents horizontal rod portion 41a from catching on hook 43a by camface 44a riding on horizontal portion 41a of rod 41 after hook 43a hasbeen retracted, as shown in FIG. 2, by the full raising of arm 29 andshaft 31 and then lowered with the water level above float 44 as at ornear level 16 of FIG. 1. In this cycle of the operation, guard 44 willride against horizontal rod portion 41a of rod 41 so that the levelfalls below the support position below the top of float 40, rod end 42will pass freely past hook 43a and ride on top of float valve 20 to sinkit when float 40 is partially submerged, as shown in FIG. 3. After beingtripped by trip position, as shown in FIG. 2, valve 20 will reach seat12 at a water level near substantially above the level 51 when floatvalve 20 would sink and seat without the actions of float 40 and itsassociated parts. This trip position (as shown in FIG. 2), and itssubsequent cycle (as shown in FIG. 3), gives a flush volume from level16 to level 50 rather than from level 16 to 51.

By this mechanism, a full raising of arm 29 by partial clockwise motionof handle 25 and cam 27, as shown in FIG. 2, will result in a lesservolume of flush to about level 50 rather than the full flush lower level51.

When handle 25 is partially rotated in a counterclockwise direction, cam27 will be rotated to the dotted position, shown in FIG. 1, to rotatearm 29 about pivot 520 to the dotted position in FIG. '1. In this tripposition, float 40, rod 41, and end 42 are retained in their upperposition, as shown, by hook 43a of book bell crank 43 which engageshorizontal portion 41a of rod 41. In this position guide 30 was notraised against collar 32 by the left end of cam 27 where the right endof cam 27 is against stop 52a of bracket 52. Bracket 52 is secured totank 10 in any suitable manner. When float 40 is held up by rod 41,turned end 42, and hook 431: of bell crank 43, main valve 20 is allowedto float down with the surface of the water in tank It) in the usualmanner and =2; shut off the flow from the flush tank at about level 51for full volume flush.

I have illustrated my inventions in these various forms; however, manyother variations may be possible within the scope of this invention.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates many changesin construction and widely dilfering embodiments and applications oi theinvention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. The disclosures and description herein arepurely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim as my invention:

1. A selective dual volume dump valve mechanism for flush toilets, aflush tank, said valve comprising a drain valve seat, a drain pipeconnected to said seat, a floattype flexible valve, a secondary float,said secondary float connected to said valve so as to effectively rideon said flexible valve and sink it prior to the surface of the liquid insaid flush tank reaching the top of said flexible valve, a two positiontrip mechanism connected to said valve and float, said trip mechanism ina first trip position raises said flexible valve off its seat when saidflush tank is substantially full and simultaneously holding said floatin its raised position, said trip mechanism in its second trip positionlifting said flexible valve 01f its seat and releasing said float so itsweight rides on said flexible valve to sink said flexible valve to closethe flow to said drain pipe while the level of water in said tank issubstantially higher than the level when said flexible valve seats afterbeing tripped in the first position of said trip mechanism.

2. A structure as described in claim 1, in which said float ismechanically connected to said flexible valve after said second tripposition and cycle, a latch, said latch controlled by said firstposition of said trip mechanism to hold said float up for full volumeflush, and said latch being released by the second trip position of saidtrip to allow said float weight to sink said flexible float valve for anearly shut off of said drain for a lower volume flush than when trippedin said first position of said trip.

3. A selective flush valve for flush type toilets, a flush tank, a twoflush position trip mechanism attached to said tank, a single flushvalve seat, a flush pipe, a floating type flexible flush valve, a secondfloat, a first trip position of said trip mechanism in which said flushvalve will seat in the normal manner when it floats down on the flushliquid when the flush valve nears said seat, in the second position ofsaid trip mechanism said flexible float valve will be sunk to seat onsaid flush valve seat when the level of liquid in said tank is at a muchgreater depth than when seating in said first position of said tripmechanism, the sinking of said flexible float valve being accomplishedby the partial weight of said second float which rides on said floatvalve after the second trip position of said mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SELECTIVE DUAL VOLUME DUMP VALVE MECHANISM FOR FLUSH TOILETS, AFLUSH TANK, SAID VALVE COMPRISING A DRAIN VALVE SEAT, A DRAIN PIPECONNECTED TO SAID SEAT, A FLOATTYPE FLEXIBLE VALVE, A SECONDARY FLOAT,SAID SECONDARY FLOAT CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE SO AS TO EFFECTIVELY RIDEON SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE AND SINK IT PRIOR TO THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID INSAID FLUSH TANK REACHING THE TOP OF SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE, A TWO POSITIONTRIP MECHANISM CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE AND FLOAT, SAID TRIP MECHANISM INA FIRST TRIP POSITION RAISES SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE OFF ITS SEAT WHEN SAIDFLUSH TANK IS SUBSTANTIALLY FULL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLDING SAID FLOATIN ITS RAISED POSITION, SAID TRIP MECHANISM IN ITS SECOND TRIP POSITIONLIFTING SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE OFF ITS SEAT AND RELEASING SAID FLOAT SO ITSWEIGHT RIDES ON SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE TO SINK SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE TO CLOSETHE FLOW TO SAID DRAIN PIPE WHILE THE LEVEL OF WATER IN SAID TANK ISSUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THE LEVEL WHEN SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE SEATS AFTERBEING TRIPPED IN THE FIRST POSITION OF SAID TRIP MECHANISM.